FWIW I too walk my children this very same route each and every morning. These dogs are extremely well handled by their owners and keep to the centre of the wildlife field so no contact with children takes place. I think it's a shame, in a civil society and neighborhood like ours, that people can't just live and let live. To my mind, allowing a small handful of dog walkers to exercise their dogs for a few minutes each morning on a piece of land that can be used flexibly, is way preferable to the alternative, which would be to negotiate an off-leash section of the park - which would then be permanently fence bound, and eye sore, and not used nearly as much as a piece of flex land. The dog owners are extremely respectful, and work hard to keep the area safe and clear and clean.

It is great that your experience with the off leash dogs has gone perfectly. For others, that is not the case. The dogs are not always limited to one specific area, the owners are not always in control or respectful when you ask them to keep their dogs on a lease when they run at your kids or just come up from behind them on the path. I don't see the original poster advocating for a fenced in area. I think like me and other parents who are now forced to walk through that part of the park because of the school renovation, it would be considerate and neighborly if the dog owners choosing not to follow the rules could limit this activity for the 15-30 min in the morning and the afternoon during pickup and drop off.

I would recommend contacting Animal Care and Control for this issue. The District Department of Transportation has no authority over enforcing leash laws.
Here is the link with more information:
http://support.washhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_legislative#contact

This service request (#15-00281159) has been marked as resolved.